1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to security locks and, more particularly, to a security lock for automobiles and the like of the type designed to lock the steering wheel and one of the foot control pedals together to prevent unauthorized use and/or theft thereof.
2. The Prior Art
The known prior art is replete with security locks for use as anti-theft devices on road vehicles, such as automobiles, tractors and the like. Some of them go back to the early days of motoring, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,193,679 and 1,709,839. As time went on, these devices became more sophisticated and some even cumbersome. Note, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,716,336 and 3,190,090. Modern day anti-theft devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,245,239; 3,550,409; 3,664,164 and 3,690,131. Although for the most part, these devices have served their intended purposes well, some could be rendered ineffective by the application of brute force. A more recent device overcomes this aspect by using a standard automotive vehicle bumper jack, together with a padlock, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,432. Its operative use appears most cumbersome, however. In the same category falls a device designed for locking the controls of an aircraft. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,823. There is thus plenty of room left for improvements.